C7 One Punch to Shatter Stones!

"Hahaha, you hear that? Clear the way!" Zhao Feihong, with Ji Fanchen in tow, strutted up to the Profound Qi Stone. He gestured with a respectful flourish, "After you, Young Master Jee. Show everyone the bright future of the Nephelo Sect!"

Humph!

Jee Fanchen shot Ye Feng a disdainful look, his smirk nearly reaching the heavens. With a 'watch and learn' expression, he approached the Profound Qi Stone.

"Outer sect disciple, Jee Fanchen, commencing the second round of testing!"

Jee Fanchen cracked his knuckles, his neck swiveling with a series of pops.

The next moment.

He dropped his stance, steadied his footing, gathered his energy, and threw his punch—all in one fluid motion. A flash of fire burst forth, and Jee Fanchen's fist had already slammed deep into the Profound Qi Stone.

Boom!

A wave of heat surged out, ruffling the hair of onlookers.

Impressive!

Despite their aversion to Jee Fanchen's overbearing attitude, no one could deny the young master's talent—first grade fire element Profound Qi, a justifiable source of his pride.

His formidable punch, with the might to melt metal, had buried itself half an arm deep into the stone. Wisps of white smoke curled out, exuding an intimidating aftereffect that set hearts racing.

"Jee Fanchen, five and eight-tenths inches into the stone, grade A!"

The announcement of his score instantly drew a chorus of admiration from the crowd.

"Young Master Jee, you're incredible!"

"Wow! Young Master Jee, with a score like that, you're bound to dominate this year's Inner Sect Assessment. Over five inches—that's a whole inch more than last year's top scorer!"

His cronies piled on the praise, and even the bystanders couldn't help but express their awe.

"Hmph, I wonder if certain losers will wet themselves seeing Young Master Jee's score. Haha!" Zhao Feihong sneered at the stoic Ye Feng before swaggering over to the Profound Qi Stone.

With a thunderous punch, Zhao Feihong also made his mark.

"Zhao Feihong, three inches into the stone, grade B!"

As Zhang Yun stepped forward, his arm may have been injured, but he couldn't resist taunting Ye Feng.

"Kid, you can't rely on sheer muscle to impress with the Profound Qi Stone. Even with one arm out of commission, I can still outclass your paltry Second Grade ordinary Profound Qi. Just you watch!"

Ha!

With a powerful punch, Zhang Yun's fist drove into the massive rock.

"Zhang Yun, three and a third inches into the stone, a B-grade performance."

"Killer move, Zhang Yun! Haha, definitely stronger than some losers!"

The crowd roared with laughter, fixing their eyes on Ye Feng's serene expression. It wasn't until the group of six or seven had completed their tests that the sneers subsided, and silence fell.

"Your turn, Ye Feng, you waste of space!"

"Come on, show us what your Second Grade ordinary Profound Qi can really do."

"Watch it, don't break your hand, hahaha!"

Their jeers were relentless, aiming to crush Ye Feng's spirit.

Jee Fanchen stood by, arms crossed, smugly awaiting Ye Feng's submission to his impressive score.

But Ye Feng, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, approached the Profound Qi Stone, paying no mind to the surrounding chatter.

His confidence in his golden Profound Qi was unshakable. This punch wasn't just about breaking the stone before him; it was about shattering eight years of silence and decline, paving the way for a future filled with splendor and success.

Inhaling deeply, the golden Profound Qi within his dantian surged like a tempestuous sea, erupting with a fearsome might that transformed his fist into an unspeakable weapon of destruction.

He unleashed his punch!

A flash of golden light, swift as lightning.

Boom!

The sound was thunderous.

Ye Feng's fist, like a hammer through tofu, met no resistance as it plunged into the Profound Qi Stone. The domineering Qi within ignited a miniature explosion, causing the stone to tremble. Fragments flew like lethal darts, pelting Zhang Yun and the others nearby, eliciting howls of pain.

The impact of Ye Feng's punch was nothing short of astonishing.

As the dust settled and the fragments of stone cleared, the crowd was astonished to see that Ye Feng's entire arm had plunged deep into the Profound Qi Stone. The depth was so profound it defied measurement by inches—it was unquestionably more than a foot.

The entire place was in shock.

Even the Inner Sect disciples responsible for the records were frozen in place. To them, it was unheard of for someone to punch so powerfully that their arm would disappear into the stone. Not even Lee Huayu, in his prime, could match Ye Feng!

And then there was Jee Fanchen, Zhang Yun, and the rest.

Their jaws might as well have shattered on the floor. Ye Feng's punch had landed squarely on their pride, the impact so severe they couldn't snap out of it.

How could this be possible?

How could someone with merely ordinary Second Grade Profound Qi deliver such a staggering blow?

While everyone was still reeling in disbelief, Ye Feng turned nonchalantly to the Inner Sect disciple beside him.

"Senior Brother, my apologies..."

"Huh? What for?" The disciple was clearly still trying to process what had happened.

"I think you might need to replace this Profound Qi Stone."

"What? Why?"

"Because..."

Ye Feng slowly withdrew his fist, revealing the damage done.

"Good heavens, look! Why are there so many cracks on the Profound Qi Stone?"

Someone gasped, drawing everyone's attention to the web of fractures that had spread across the stone. As Ye Feng stepped back, the entire Profound Qi Stone crumbled like an old man whose time had come, collapsing into rubble with a resounding crash.

Silence fell—a silence as profound as death itself.

If Ye Feng's punch extending beyond a foot was within the realm of possibility, then shattering the entire Profound Qi Stone was nothing short of miraculous.

Everyone stood rooted to the spot, dumbfounded, the breeze brushing their faces as they struggled to grasp reality.

"Am I dreaming?" someone muttered, pinching the thigh of the person next to them.

A sharp cry pierced the silence, jolting the crowd back to life.

"My god!"

"Ye Feng has shattered the Profound Qi Stone with a single punch!"

The place erupted into chaos.

All eyes were on Ye Feng, who stood tall and proud in the center of the arena. The mockery and disdain that once filled their gazes had vanished, replaced by sheer astonishment and a buzz of excitement.

"He's incredible. How on earth did he pull that off?"

"Isn't his Profound Qi just average? Could it really possess such formidable strength?"

Nearby, several Inner Sect disciples swarmed over, encircling Ye Feng.

One began examining Ye Feng's arm, while the others hurried off to inform the Inner Sect Elder overseeing the assessment. The look in their eyes had shifted dramatically.

Anyone who could pulverize a Profound Qi Stone with a single punch was no ordinary individual. His future within the Inner Sect was bound to be immeasurable!

Meanwhile, Ji Fanchen and his group were left disheveled in the wind.

Zhao Feihong and Zhang Yun, staring at the rubble, felt a chill run down their spines.

They knew the resilience of the Profound Qi Stone all too well. They had strained themselves to make only a small dent, yet this guy had obliterated it with one punch. The thought of such a fearsome fist...

They were relieved they weren't on the receiving end.

"Jee, Young Master Jee... Ye Feng, this kid, he..." Zhao Feihong was at a loss for words, glancing at Jee Fanchen, whose complexion had turned ashen.

"Impossible! Not even a Three Pluses Profound Stage warrior could smash the Profound Qi Stone with one punch!" Jee Fanchen struggled to stay composed. "There has to be a trick to it!"

Simultaneously, an Inner Sect Elder named Han Yun was racing toward the site of the shattered Profound Qi Stone, his heart pounding with urgency.

"Who was it?! Who broke the Profound Qi Stone?!"

Elder Han Yun's eyes sparkled with excitement. From his vantage point, he was acutely aware of the Nephelo Sect's talent drought over the years. The emergence of a prodigy would be a blessing for the entire sect.

But as he was en route, a mysterious telepathic message echoed in his mind.

"What?"

Han Yun paused abruptly, then shifted his gaze to a figure on a distant mountain peak. The figure seemed to have been watching the events unfold from the start, yet had gone unnoticed by everyone else.

"Yes, I understand."

After receiving the message, Han Yun respectfully bowed to the figure before resuming his brisk walk toward the throng of excited onlookers.

Following a thorough 'inspection', Han Yun rose to his feet with a stoic face and made his announcement to the crowd:

"After Elder Han Yun's inspection, it was clear that the Profound Qi Stone had been around for quite some time and was already internally fractured. Ye Feng's punch simply finished the job, so there's no need for surprise."

That explained it.

In the crowd, Jee Fanchen and others were the first to exhale a long breath of relief.

Ye Feng had indeed been testing his luck; otherwise, they wouldn't dare to confront his formidable punch again.

"Nevertheless, Ye Feng's Profound Qi is exceptionally powerful, ranking him among the elite of the younger generation. He deserves an A-plus rating. Quickly bring a new Profound Qi Stone for the continuation of the tests."

With those words, Elder Han Yun cast a meaningful glance at the composed Ye Feng. He seemed on the verge of saying more but ultimately restrained himself and walked away.

Yet, within him, a storm of astonishment was brewing. Ye Feng had managed to stir the reclusive old master of Fallen Cloud Peak—an old monster who hadn't emerged in ages.

Even Han Yun couldn't comprehend how Ye Feng, a mere newcomer at the One Pulse Profound Stage, could pulverize the dense Profound Qi Stone with a single punch.

…

Ye Feng's lips curled into a satisfied smile.

Truth be told, he hadn't anticipated his ability to shatter the Profound Qi Stone with one blow. Surpassing the likes of Lee Huayu and his peers from eight years ago had seemed like the upper limit.

Yet, the current outcome had once again exceeded Ye Feng's expectations. The golden Profound Qi undoubtedly played a role, though its workings remained a mystery to him.

This punch, however, had given him a sense of vindication.

Look around!

The perceptions of those around him had shifted entirely.

The voices filled with skepticism and mockery had vanished into thin air.

No one would dare scoff at a future prodigy who had scored a 'super A grade.' Even with ordinary Profound Qi attributes, Ye Feng's combat prowess was undeniably dominant among the newly initiated disciples of the Profound Stage.

The thought alone of facing his terrifying fist was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine—who would be bold enough to provoke him?

Amidst the gaze of thousands, Ye Feng proceeded to the third round of testing with his usual serenity, unbothered by the silence that now surrounded him.